American Horror Story: Freak Show opened at the Mott residence just as Jimmy (Evan Peters) goes in to find Bette and Dot (Sarah Paulson) indulging in a banana split in Dandy’s (Finn Wittrock) playroom. He tries to convince them that the freak show is a safer place for them – but Bette is convinced that Dandy is the one who saved the children from Twisty. Dot, however, is suspicious of Dandy, knowing that he read her diary. In the end, Bette choses to follow her sister’s lead and leave the Mott residence with Jimmy. Dandy is predictably furious.

‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ Recap

At the Freak Show’s main tent, Jimmy takes the stage to practice his take on Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” for Elsa (Jessica Lange). After he’s done performing, Jimmy approaches Elsa about selling them to the Motts. Dot intervenes to claim that leaving for the Motts was their idea and that Elsa made it happen, while also saying they could always return. In the evening, they sit down with Elsa in her tent. Bette wants to dye her hair blond, be a comedian and get caviar for breakfast. Dot adds they want the money Gloria (Frances Conroy) gave her when she sold them, and a cut of the box office sales.

Meanwhile, the candy striper Penny (Grace Gummer) is doing her best to nurse Paul (Mat Fraser) back to good health. Del (Michael Chiklis) is nowhere to be found, out at the bar, looking for Andy (Matt Bomer) – the Andy who Dandy killed at Twisty’s van. Little does Del know, Richard (Denis O’Hare) was there too and saw him. As for Ethel (Kathy Bates), she shows up at the good doctor’s place to find a “Closed for Business” sign. Inside, She and Desiree (Angela Bassett) meet his daughter, who tells them that he killed himself, not knowing that it was Del who destroyed his hands.

When Del gets back to the Freak Show grounds, Richard is already there waiting for him to arrive to drop the blackmail. After jokes about fairies and not getting it up, he lets Del know that he saw him at the bar looking for one of the hustlers. In the tent, Richard lets him know the deal. He wants one of the freaks dead, no damage to the body and for him to make it look like they disappeared. Sneaking into Amazon Eve’s (Erika Ervin) tent later, Del tries and fails to put her out. “Who’s the strong man now?” she asks him as he lies bloody and defeated outside her trailer.

In Jimmy’s bed, Maggie (Emma Roberts) and Jimmy are cuddling, talking about their future together. She wants them to get out of there – hopefully before Richard puts his grizzly plans to work. Later on, Jimmy finds out about what Del did to Eve from his mother. Ethel tells Jimmy to kill Del. She says that he better handle him or they will. Jimmy and Del end up heading to a bar together and bonding over some shots. Del tells Jimmy not to be ashamed of his “lobster hands” and takes away his gloves, but still seems intent on killing him while he’s puking out back. When Jimmy tells Del he knows he’s his father, Del drops the brick.

Penny’s father is not too keen about her continuing to visit Paul at the Freak Show. She says she chooses Paul, she’s in love with him and will live among Paul and his people. Her father, an electrician by trade, needs a sterling reputation. He’s not a killer – but he certainly has a darkness about him. He hires a tattoo artist to mark up her entire face, and give her a forked tongue.

Bette finally gets her blond hair, and can’t stop talking about how glamorous she looks. She thinks that she and Dot look like a before and after picture. While Bette is going on and on about how she’s now a butterfly, Elsa slips Dot a note in which she seems to encourage her wish of getting a surgery to separate herself from Bette. Dot takes her up on the offer, and even gives her the name of the doctor who can perform the surgery.

Elsa takes a dinner meeting with Richard and shows him Dot’s later and asks him to locate him. All she wants is for them to be out of her life. While they’re chatting, Ethel walks into the tent. She overhears Richard suggesting a mercy killing for Bette and Dot. While Elsa doesn’t at first seem into the idea, the thought of a manager who would quite literally kill for her is appealing.

After striking out on his plans to kill Amazon Eve and Jimmy, Del goes into Ma Petite’s (Jyoti Amge) trailer, gifting her with a tiny gown. He lifts her up when she raises her arms up and quickly snaps her tiny neck. Ma Petit is then sent up to Philadelphia to be exhibited at the museum – presented as the smallest woman in the world.